


Why Tony Doesn't Hate Magic (That Much)

by Gothic_Lolita



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: And With More Plot, And feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blame Steve Too, Fluff, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I have no idea where this came from, I promise, I'm not kidding, It Was His Idea!, It'll make sense, Just Blame Magic, Light crack, Like That's Literal, M/M, Magic, Multiple Personalities, NOT OT3, Not Cheating, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Stucky - Freeform, There Is Sense To Be Made, They Co-Exist, This Was Longer Than I Intended, Tony-centric, What Was I Thinking?, just go with it, trust me - Freeform, winteriron
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-12-04 13:37:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11556297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gothic_Lolita/pseuds/Gothic_Lolita
Summary: After a mishap with magic that was caused by Steve's brilliant idea, Tony has to deal with a problem he definitely isn't ready to handle. But by the end of it all, Tony has to admit, maybe this isn't the worst thing Steve has done.





	Why Tony Doesn't Hate Magic (That Much)

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea what this is, where it came from, why it happened, or how I pulled it off. Go with it, I (occasionally) make sense. I seriously hate Stucky with a living passion, but I needed it to make this... thing work. Just... just go with it. It's good. (I hope) Anyhow, enjoy.

****"Mister Rogers has requested your presence in the living room, boss." FRIDAY's voice rang out, interrupting Tony from his current inventing binge, and pausing his 80s rock playlist.

Tony set down his tools and scowled. "Of course he freaking does." He reluctantly walked out of his workshop and headed upstairs.

Tony was wondering what on earth could be so important as to drag the genius away from his precious workshop. But as soon as he walked into the living room, his question was answered.

There in the living room was a very sheepish-looking Steve, a slightly annoyed yet guilty Stephen Strange, and two James Barnes's.  _Well my day definitely just got a lot more interesting._  Tony thought with a sigh.

Tony forced a sarcastic smile. "Alright, who's going to have the honor of telling me what the hell you idiots did?" He demanded, folding his arms.

"I... We wanted to try to get the Winter Soldier out of Bucky's head." Steve explained, gesturing with his hands. "And since we've tried everything else, I figured a calling Strange to see if he could help wouldn't be a bad idea. We just hadn't anticipated that the Winter Soldier was actually going to be a real enough conscious to form into his own... being, I guess, when he was expelled from Bucky's head." Steve gave Tony a helpless look.

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose, already feeling a headache come on. God, he hated magic. "Good idea? Cap, in what universe is messing with magic a good idea? How many times do I have to tell you, no magic in my tower." Tony glared at him. "And this is why." He faced Strange. "Can you... undo whatever the hell it is you did?" He ground out begrudgingly. If there was one thing Tony hated more than magic, it was having to ask for help from magic. Science made sense. Magic didn't.

Before Strange could answer, Bucky spoke up. "Well, I mean, what if we didn't? I know it's weird, and everything, but it's a relief to me to finally have full control over my own head. I feel like I can actually think." Bucky admitted.

It wasn't hard to tell Bucky Barnes from the Winter Soldier. Bucky had loose, slouching posture, and looked nervous and confused. The Winter Soldier's posture was tight and precise, his expression was tense as his eyes kept sweeping the room for all possible exits.

Steve nodded. "I agree. I know it's going to make things difficult, we don't know what to do with  ** _him_** , but Bucky has a right to control his own head. Bucks shouldn't have to deal with him in there too." He defended.

Tony ran his fingers through his hair. "Alright, new rule. New rule that honestly should just be common human decency, but whatever. It's rude to talk about someone  ** _standing right next to you_**  like they're not even there. Before you could try to ignore that the Winter Soldier was a thing and get away with it, but now that he's a literal physical  ** _person_** , at least treat him with a little  ** _respect_**." Tony snapped irritably.

Steve sighed. "Right. Ah, sorry, Winter Soldier." He mumbled awkwardly. The Winter Soldier glanced over at Steve long enough to glower at him, then looked away.

Tony looked the Winter Soldier up and down. "You need a name. Winter Soldier isn't gonna cut it for me. Any preferences?" He asked.

Tony could've sworn the Winter Soldier's glare softened a bit when he looked at the billionaire, but he figured it was wishful thinking. "Winter." The man growled out, his voice low and animalistic, with a hint of a Russian accent.

Tony nodded. "Alright then. I can work with Winter." He muttered. He clapped his hands together. "Okay, Winter, you can come with me, I think I have room you can use." He gestured for the soldier to follow him. The genius gave Bucky and Steve one final look. "As for you two, try not to fuck with magic again, mkay? And definitely don't do it in  _ **my**_  building. Strange, unless you want to fuck up more shit in my building, you can leave now." Tony not-so-subtly shooed the magician out of his home.

"Nice to see you too, Stark!" Strange shouted sarcastically as he left. Tony ignored him.

Tony left the living room with that parting statement from Strange, and was relieved to hear a pair of heavy footsteps following him. He lead Winter down winding hallways, until Tony found the room he was looking for. He opened the door to reveal a lone bed and a small wardrobe. Tony made sure to have spare bedrooms around the Avengers building, considering their ranks seemed to be constantly growing.

"It's not much, but you don't really strike me as the type of guy who would want something extravagant anyways. If there's something you want or need, just come to me. Whatever parts of the building that are open to Barnes are open to you as well, and you should already know where everything important is. Normally I would warn you that things are going to be weird with you and just about everyone else, but I have a feeling you don't really care about social formalities. Anyhow, I'm rambling. Any questions?" Tony asked, shooting Winter one of his winning smiles.

Winter narrowed his eyes and studied Tony carefully. "I killed your parents." He growled out. Tony squeezed his eyes shut, watching the scene he had been forced to watch involuntarily play before his eyes. His spine tightened like a coiling spring. "Why be... nice to me?" The man forced out, giving Tony an accusatory glare.

Tony drew in a deep breath, and slowly let it out. "Look, first of all, bringing up my parents is a low blow, so let's not go there, okay? I've gotten over my blind anger over it. HYDRA killed my parents. Not you, not Bucky.  _ **HYDRA**_. End of discussion. And I'm being nice to you because..." Tony let out a frustrated sigh. "Because quite frankly, not a lot of people around here are going to treat you like a human being for a while. Even ones like Vision, who have strange circumstances of being alive as well, you're going to be treated like broken glass by everyone. People are going to slowly walk around and avoid you, because they didn't make the mess, and they don't want to get caught in it. Anyhow, I figure no matter your past with my parents or anyone else, you deserve to have at least  _ **someone**_  on your side. Even if it's just me." Tony explained awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck.

Winter narrowed his eyes, seemingly deep in thought. He studied Tony for a moment, then disappeared into his new room, slamming the door shut.

"Good talk." Tony muttered to himself sarcastically.

 

* * *

 

Over the next few weeks, as Tony predicted, the Avengers tried their hardest to avoid Winter. It wasn't hard, the man rarely left his room, if he did, it was either to eat, or beat the shit out of some punching bags and fire rounds of perfect shots into targets. It became easier and easier to tell Bucky and Winter apart as time went by. Bucky cut his hair back to the way he had it when he was in the war and shaved his scruff, while Winter kept both. Bucky stared smiling more, and rarely was found without Steve, the two constantly sucking face. (Tony had to remind them upon multiple occasions to _ **not**_  copulate on any furniture that was not either of their beds) Bucky began dressing more casually, and constantly stealing Steve's clothes, while Winter always wore clothes that were ready for combat.

Tony wasn't really surprised when he ended up being the first one Winter warmed up to. Well, warmed up as in he didn't glare at Tony  _ **as hard**_  as he glared at everyone else. He began to shadow Tony whenever the mechanic was in his workshop. After coming in a few times for maintenance of his arm, Winter could always be found in the shop if Tony was in there. It freaked Tony out at first, having someone constantly standing in the corner, watching him, but he slowly got used to it, and Winter's presence became as common and accepted as his rock music blasting over the speakers.

"You know he likes you." Bucky said to Tony one morning over breakfast, chewing on his cereal.

Tony blinked blearily. "Hm, what? Who likes me?" He mumbled, waiting for his coffee to finish brewing.

"Winter. You're probably the only person he actually likes. I didn't even know he had emotions before you." Bucky explained.

Tony snorted. "Yeah, considering I'm the only one who doesn't run away from him or treat him like some kind of alien, funny I don't find that bit of info surprising." Tony sneered, but his voice was too thick with sleep to have much bite.

Bucky shook his head. "No, even before all this happened. Even when he was in my head, he liked you. You are literally the only person he has ever not hated with a burning passion and  _ **not**_ mentally plotted ways to disembowel you. He even threatened to rip my metal arm off and beat me with it when he was in my head when he thought I did something stupid." Bucky explained through mouthfuls of cereal.

"I'm flattered." Tony said, narrowing his eyes at Bucky slightly. He didn't exactly know how to take that bit of information, but he figured at least it was nice that Winter didn't plan how to kill Tony in his spare time.

 

* * *

 

Tony had been working on a new mark for his suit, and honestly wasn't even sure how long he had been working. One of his inventing binges had hit him, and thankfully his schedule was clear enough to allow it. However long he had been holed up in his beloved workshop had to have been longer than 24 hours, as he couldn't stop himself from yawning. He nearly pissed himself when a voice directly behind him spoke.

"Sleep." Winter growled. Tony jumped and spun around, startled to see the man standing inches away from him, instead of posted in his usual corner.

"Okay first of all, no sneaking up on sleep deprived geniuses. You're gonna give me a heart attack here, Winter. Second of all, what now?" Tony said, frowning at Winter.

"Sleep." The man repeated. "You need sleep. You've been awake for approximately 75 hours." He growled in his usual, terrifying voice.

Tony scoffed. "Well you've been awake for just as long." He pointed out.

Winter was unmoved. "You. Need. Sleep."

"So do you." Tony shot back.

A fierce glare. "I've gone longer without sleep."

Tony smirked. "And so have I. Only way you're getting me into bed is if you force me. You can go back to brooding now." Tony turned his chair back around and focused on the piece of machinery he had been working on.

The billionaire would not admit to the high-pitched squeak that came out of him when Winter picked him up with one arm, and threw the smaller man over his shoulder. "You need sleep." Winter's voice was final. He began to easily carry the genius to his bedroom.

"You know Winter, when I said ' _ **force me**_ ' I wasn't being entirely literal." Tony said, not bothering to try to twist around to face Winter. He got a growl in response. Tony sighed. "Well at least I have a nice view of your ass. You got a nice ass." He complimented easily. He was telling the truth. It was a nice ass. Winter grunted.

As the walked down the hallways of the Avengers building they passed Wanda, who looked mildly concerned, but Tony waved her off, mouthing that it was fine. She reluctantly shrugged and looked the other way.

Once they got to Tony's room, Winter opened the door, walked in and closed it. He threw Tony onto the bed and scowled at him.

Tony folded his arms and scowled right back. "You know, if you're going to force me into bed, the least you can do is get in here with me and get some sleep as well. Besides, I sleep easier when I'm cuddling someone." Tony wasn't ashamed to admit the last part. He was manly enough to admit he liked to cuddle. Winter drew his eyebrows together and cocked his head a bit. Tony rolled his eyes. " _ **Yes**_ , I'm being serious. It doesn't have to be romantic, Winter. I've cuddled with Rhodey and Pepper before, hell I even once fell asleep on Happy once. Now _ **that's**_  a long story, but my point is, it doesn't have to be weird."

Winter's glare cooled a bit, and he seemed to be sincerely considering it. Tony expected the ex-assassin to huff and leave, but he was pleasantly surprised to see Winter slid off his boots, take a gun out of his pocket and set it on the nightstand, then slid in bed with Tony.

Tony sighed and happily grabbed Winter, cuddling into him. Winter tensed, but slowly let Tony hug him like a koala bear. "FRIDAY, kill the lights." Tony ordered, and they were both cast into darkness.

"Night, Winter." Tony mumbled. As usual, he got a grunt in reply, Winter still wasn't one for talking unless necessary. But Tony could've sworn as he started to drift off, he felt a shaky hand slowly card it's fingers through his hair, in slow, calming movements.

 

* * *

 

Tony was more than a bit startled to wake up with a pair of chocolate eyes staring into his own intensely. He put a hand on his chest and evened his breathing.

"Good morning to you too, Winter. Damn, do you just enjoy trying to stop my heart?" He asked rhetorically.

"Sorry." Winter mumbled. Tony actually thought he was  _ **actually**_  going to have a heart attack hearing that. Winter didn't mumble, and he sure as  _ **hell**_  didn't apologize.

Tony sighed. "Oh come on, don't give me that pouty face, I can't handle how fucking hot you make pouting look." He scowled. But he did an internal happy dance when a ghost of a smile flickered across Winter's face.

Tony looked down, and saw that Winter practically had a death grip on him, both arms wrapped firmly around the billionaire's waist. Tony looked back up into those deep brown eyes, and felt his heart skip a beat when Winter leaned slightly forward, making their foreheads touch.

Their lips were inches apart, and Tony waited for Winter to close the gap, but it then dawned on him. The Winter Soldier, badass ex-HYDRA agent, was  _ **afraid**_  to kiss him, afraid of being rejected. Tony's heart melted a bit, there were times when Winter really had the mindset of a child, and it was endearing.

"You know," Tony whispered, smiling lightly. "I'm gonna stay like this until you kiss me, Winter. Just saying."

Tony was positive his heart stopped in the moment that Winter finally kissed him. It was awkward at first, Winter clearly didn't know much about kissing. But with a bit of guidance from Tony, the two were able to slot their lips together into the perfect kiss. Tony tangled his fingers into Winter's long hair, and pressed closer to the larger man. Winter gently cupped Tony's neck with one hand, and shakily let his other hand cradle Tony's face. They shared several intimate kisses, before Tony finally pulled away with a deep smile.

"Yeah." The genius whispered. "That was nice. I definitely like this."

Winter actually _ **smiled**_  softly. "So do I."

Tony sighed with discontent. "As much as I very badly want to stay here, just like this forever, I have a Stark Industries meeting in an hour. So is it okay if we have to end this perfect moment?" He asked. Tony honestly wouldn't admit that if Winter said no, he would gladly cancel the meeting, because he knew if he admitted it Winter would say no just because of that.

Winter grunted and his scowl returned, but he let Tony go with a strong amount of reluctance. Tony rolled out of bed with his own scowl, and headed for the bathroom.

"You can stay in my room while I'm gone, _ **I**_ honestly don't care. The meeting is supposed to last from ten to eleven, but will probably go to twelve, and that's if I'm  _ **lucky**_. Damned board never shuts up about anything. When I get back, I'll probably grab lunch and hope to be back in my shop by two. Steve is demanding the team have a movie night, something about bonding. Though honestly I don't know how sitting in a group in front of a screen _ **bonds**_  people, but hey, maybe that's just my antisocial showing. Anyhow, he wants to start at six, Vision and Wanda plan on making a bunch of snacks, they all wanna make a big event out of this. I'm being forced to go, naturally, because they seem to enjoy torturing me for some reason. I would much more content going if you went, you know, to have someone to cuddle and fall asleep on, but I understand if you don't want to. They all have their heads up their asses with you, honestly starting to piss me off. Though if you make it clear you like me, maybe they'll finally be convinced that you're a human being with emotions, so that'd be nice. It's all just an offer though, I won't be mad if you say no. I don't blame you for hiding, really." Tony shut himself up when he realized he was rambling. He looked over at Winter, and his heart fluttered to see that ghost of a smile on his face again.

"I'll think about it." Winter grumbled, and Tony didn't bother hiding his grin.

 

* * *

 

Tony was internally ecstatic when Winter quietly sat down next to him on the couch as everyone gathered in the communal living room. He flashed Winter a genuine smile, and enjoyed the small blush that crept across Winter's face. Tony occupied himself by glaring down any Avengers who gave Winter a funny look while all the food and people gathered.

Tony was positive that Vision and Wanda had somehow gotten the idea that they were feeding at least three armies, because holy  _ **shit**_  he didn't think he had ever seen that much junk food in one room. And coming from Tony Stark, that definitely held some weight.

Once everyone was present, Steve was practically exploding with excitement as he snuggled in close with Bucky.

"Is everyone ready to start the movie?" Steve shouted. Which normally seemed a bit over the top, but when the entire Avengers team was gathered in one room, you had to shout to have even a pray of being heard.

There were murmurs and nods of agreement, and Steve told FRIDAY to start the movie. Tony had to resist hurling a bowl of popcorn at Steve when he realized they were watching  _Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice_.

Tony noticed that Bucky kept glancing at Winter, with an unreadable expression. Tony was about to stare Bucky down, but instead he held in a squeak of surprise as Winter grabbed him, and pulled Tony into his lap. Tony twisted around and gave Winter a quick peck on the lips, making his glare soften. He got comfortable in Winter's lap, and shot Bucky a cool but hard look. Bucky blinked in surprise, but looked away.

Winter stole several kisses from Tony throughout the movie, which was nice considering neither of them were really paying attention.

When the movie ended the team took a moment to stretch, and some disappeared for pee breaks. During the few minutes of intermission, Tony noticed Steve's unmoved stare at him and Winter.

"Is there a problem, Rogers? Because you know, it is rude to stare." Tony said with a tiny smirk.

Steve's cheeks colored an amusing red. "I...  _ **no**_! I'm just...  _ **pleasantly surprised**_  to see Winter happy with someone. Or happy at all, for that matter. I... just still getting used to this." Steve fumbled over his own words, and Tony had to hold in a snort.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Yes, shocking, I know, to see a  _ **human being**_  show  _ **human emotions**_." He snapped. "Honestly it should be more shocking that _ **Vision**_  has emotions, not Winter." Tony felt a smile against his cheek from Winter, and felt his chest swell with pride.

Steve sighed in defeat and just turned back to Bucky, kissing him, as if using his boyfriend as an excuse to not have a response.

Once the Avengers were reassembled, Steve started the next movie, and Tony didn't even bother paying attention to what he put on this time.

Tony's eyes swept the room again, and he was pleasantly surprised by what he saw. Clint gave him an approving smile and a thumbs up, T'Challa smiled formally and nodded with approval, and Rhodey shrugged and smiled as well. Naturally they were the most likely to approve and accept Winter, Clint being easy-going as all hell, T'Challa polite and understanding, and Rhodey being Tony's best friend. But still, Tony would take what he could get with the Avengers accepting Winter and treating him as equal.  Tony had a feeling Winter noticed the approvals as well, as he spun Tony around for a passionate, relief-filled kiss. Tony couldn't help but smile into the kiss. Tony made a mental note to send Strange a nice Christmas card, or something. Maybe magic wasn't the worst thing in the world. Just maybe, though.

**Author's Note:**

> I listened to AC/DC and GnR to tune in my inner Tony Stark while writing this. And I just really like 80s rock. I'm trash.


End file.
